New Claudy bomb inquiry ruled out

Nine people died- including an eight-year-old girl - and over 30 were injured when three no-warning bombs went off in the County Londonderry village on 31 July 1972.The IRA were blamed for carrying out the attacks - but never claimed responsibility.Catholic priest Father James Chesney was suspected of masterminding the atrocity. He died from cancer, aged 46, in 1980, having never been questioned by police, despite being caught with explosives in his vehicle one week after the devastating bombings.It has now emerged that, at the end of January, PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris - along with other senior detectives - met with relatives of those who died to tell them that all available investigative options had been exhausted.A PSNI statement said: "The investigation remains open but all available investigative options and actions have been exhausted. Should new information or evidence be forthcoming, police would progress this."Police would continue to appeal to anyone with information about the Claudy bombing to come forward so that the people responsible for this atrocity are brought to justice."